The thin end of the wedge

[Brian Ellis]

Motorists may be fingerprinted

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6170070.stm

[Umfriend]

Assuming people may avoid this by carrying their drivers license (are you not obliged to when driving a car in the UK?) I don;t see an issue with this offhand. The police having fingerprints of 6.5mln people may be different but given that they do, using them this way under the proviso above, I can;t see an issue.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't know what a modern UK driving licence looks like, but in my days, a) it was not considered proof of identity (no photo) and b) there was no obligation to have it with you, but if requested by the police, you had to produce it and the insurance certificate to the police station in (I think) 5 days.

[GNEP]

Thin end of the wedge? We're half-way along the bloody wedge already.

I have an old-fashioned (non-photo) driving licence. Ie not really a form of ID.

If the police stopped me without arresting or cautioning me I would refuse to let them scan my fingerprints. As far as I know they aren't in any database already, and I wouldn't want to add them to a database thankyou very much. Ditto my DNA etc etc etc. They could claim they were just matching to already known fingerprints, not recording it anywhere, but would you believe them?

ID cards are another walk down this route which I don't like either.

HOWEVER: regards to this specific story, I think this plan would need approval by parliament, and I very much doubt (hope?) it would get through either house. So possibly just an idea that's been floated around that won't ever see the light of day (fingers crossed).

[Umfriend]

OK, it is a bit different over here. When driving a vehicle one has been obligated (for ages already) to carry his drivers license. Although not officially an ID (AFAIK) it is accepted as such in almost all cases (can't think of any where it is not). It has a photo.

Given this obligation, I would have no issue with the fingerprint ID in those cases where one does drive but does not have a drivers license with him.

As of, I think, Jan 1st 2005, everyone as of 14 years of age is required to carry ID (which may be a drivers license). This I am verily pissed off about.